Bangalore court clash: CBI files charge sheet against 20 lawyers

NEW DELHI: CBI today filed another charge sheet against 20 lawyers in connection with the 2012 clash in a Bangalore court complex during the production of mining baron G Janardhana Reddy, accused in illegal mining and corruption cases.

CBI sources said these 20 lawyers have been charged with rioting, unlawful assembly, voluntarily causing hurt, voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from his duty, mischief by fire or explosive substance among others.

The sources said this was the 10th charge sheet filed in the case, taken up by the agency on the orders of Supreme Court, and more charge sheets are likely to be filed. It was filed before the Bangalore Special Court.

Last year, the Supreme Court had ordered CBI probe into the clashes in the Bangalore court complex during production of Reddy, saying inquiry by the agency was necessitated as the incident had occurred in a court complex.

The SC bench comprising Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai and Justice Ranjan Gogoi had also directed the SIT to immediately hand over all the records pertaining to the probe to the CBI.

On March 2, 2012, a scuffle broke out between lawyers, policemen and mediapersons in a Bangalore civil court complex when Reddy, a former minister in Karnataka, was to be produced in connection with an illegal mining case.

The advocates had targeted journalists, particularly electronic media crew, who had gathered to cover Reddy's appearance before the court.

The advocates had objected to the presence of journalists inside the designated courtroom even before Reddy was produced. The lawyers had hurled stones, chairs and water bottles at policemen and public alike and torched some vehicles, including a police van.

Over 191 cases have been registered in connection with the incident against policemen, advocates, mediapersons and others.